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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23746798">Twin Blessings (And Double the Pain)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thousandsmiles/pseuds/Thousandsmiles'>Thousandsmiles</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin does not get the suit, Angst, Babies, Ficlet, Gen, baby luke and leia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:42:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>514</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23746798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thousandsmiles/pseuds/Thousandsmiles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Vader retains most of his limbs and has the twins. This is a little snapshot of him looking in on them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Twin Blessings (And Double the Pain)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So this is like my first work in the fandom so I really hope it's okay. Cross-posted from tumblr. </p><p> </p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The room was quiet. A soft breeze blew through the barred windows, flapping the curtains gently and allowing flashes of brighter light to come in.  But otherwise, the room was fairly dark to provide comfort for its other two occupants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anakin Skywalker, now known as the dreaded Darth Vader stood poised in the doorway looking inside. The sith lord, once known as the hero without fear, was filled with some unreasonable fear to enter. Yet he could not stay away. Something dragged him forward like metal to a lodestone, unrelenting in its assault. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment he took one step forward, then another and another, gingerly placing his feet, unwilling to wake the room's occupants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally he stood over them; two small babies wrapped up in cloth so soft it didn't seem real, cuddled close to each other for warmth and companionship. His babies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached out one hand, desperate as ever to touch them, to feel their smooth-as-silk skin beneath his fingertips, to nuzzle the soft tufts of hair currently hidden beneath little caps, to breathe in the gentle, innocent scent of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But his hand shook, his fingers trembled as he neared his children and then he snatched his limb away, grasping tightly onto the crib instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He'd touched them once. Only once. When he was bringing them onto his ship after taking them from their mother's lifeless arms. And he'd only done it because they'd needed medical care. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could he? How could he dare, when at any moment he could hurt them? Hurt them like he'd hurt their mother, the person he loved most in the world. How could he ever trust himself to cradle them in his arms, to feed them or rock them to sleep? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could not. He could not! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet he could not leave them alone. His heart, still stinging with despair and loss, drove him here, day after day, night after night, in every spare bit of time he had in between the securing of the Empire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He needed to see them, feel their little lives thrumming in the force. He hoped every time he could touch them, knew, every time he could not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twins snuffed a little, tiny chests rising and falling in sync, twice as fast as his own. They snuggled tighter against each other, little hands appearing out of the mess of blankets to grip one another before they settled down again, content with the added reminder of each other's presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vader smiled. He wanted to scream, to cry. To wrap them both in his arms and hold them close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned. He walked out of the room treading as softly as possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door whoosed shut behind him and he took a moment to breathe, to let his feeling of guilt and pain power the dark side, to rid himself of the helplessness he always felt before them and then straightened up, clenched his jaw and threw back his shoulders. His comm went off at that moment and he took it from his belt. Time to get back to work. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please, please leave a comment and tell me what you think!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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